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SubJovian Type

Moderately small sized gas giants, 0.08 to 0.2 Jupiter Masses

New Mars (beta virginis
Image from Steve Bowers
New Mars (Beta Virginis System) a small cold MesoCryoJovian world

Small to medium sized gas giants, formed where there is not enough material to form a MesoJovian or SuperJovian world.

Many worlds of this type are outer system cryojovian worlds like Neptune and Uranus, but subjovians of this size range can be found at any temperature, since (like any other gas giant) they will migrate inwards due to friction with the protoplanetary disk and gravitational interaction with smaller bodies. However when small gas giants of this kind encounter other giants, they may be flung outwards into more distant orbits, occasionally even exchanging orbits with other giants.

Examples: Uranus, Neptune

 
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Development Notes
Text by John M. Dollan in his Planet Classification List
Initially published on 31 December 2001.

 
 
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